Blog Post, due Sunday night, Oct 5: Listen and Learn
Hey, #engcmp0420! Since you’re in the midst of interviews and we’re doing an audio workshop on Tuesday, I thought it would make sense to have your blog post be about audio this week.
1) Listen to a few audio stories from one of the following websites: Sound Portraits, StoryCorps, or Radio Diaries. Keep listening until you find one that’s moving or interesting or compelling to you in some way.
2) Write a post telling us what’s compelling to you about that audio story. Since you’ll be composing your own story soon, think about what makes this story tick, what makes it compelling. Consider some of the following:
• How does it use music or sound to set the mood?
• Where does the story begin? At the beginning? In the middle?
• What keeps you listening through the whole thing?
Also…. looking at Nunberg’s Principles of “writing for the ear” from your interview assignment sheet…How does the story:
• Fix you in a particular time and place?
• Use concrete examples as often as possible, especially those that encourage identification?
• Signpost regularly: replace visual cues with aural cues, esp. with voice?
• Quote others sparingly, but use actualities (taped interviews, performances) freely?
• Be informal, conversational, but not flippant or careless?
• Posit an “ideal listener” for the piece?
• Use short sentences and lists?
• Vary inflection?
Obviously, you don’t have to cover all of these! But think about them when you analyze what works about your chosen audio piece.
3) Link to the audio in your post. Give it a great title. Include a picture if you’d like to liven up the post.
4) Listen to someone else’s chosen piece and comment on their post. Add another analytical bit of information to their work.
Happy listening and writing!
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